Zimbabwe: Aid

Lord Acton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How much bilateral and multilateral aid is given to Zimbabweans by (a) the United Kingdom; and (b) the European Union, broken down by member states.

Baroness Amos: The most recent comprehensive statistics for bilateral and multilateral assistance for Zimbabwe are from 2001, when most donor assistance was at a low level due to governance concerns.
	The following table lists humanitarian assistance pledges for Zimbabwe reported to the EC Humanitarian Office (ECHO) from 1 January to 19 December 2002, totalling E156.4 million. The first column represents bilateral support (including contributions to UN appeals) and the second gives the approximate share for each member state of the additional EC humanitarian assistance programme. (All figures million euro).
	
		
			 EU country Bilateral Assistance (E) EC programme share (E) 
			 UK 51.2 11.28 
			 Austria 0.2 2.35 
			 Belgium 0.4 3.48 
			 Denmark 0.4 1.90 
			 Finland 0.3 1.31 
			 France 0.8 21.58 
			 Germany 4.2 20.74 
			 Greece no data 1.11 
			 Ireland 1.2 0.55 
			 Italy 1.0 11.14 
			 Luxembourg no data 0.25 
			 Netherlands 1.1 4.64 
			 Portugal no data 0.86 
			 Spain no data 5.19 
			 Sweden 6.8 2.42 
			 Totals 67.6 88.8

Zimbabwe: FCO Advice

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What advice the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is currently giving to British nationals intending to visit Zimbabwe; and whether the same advice is given to those going to Zimbabwe to participate in international sport.

Baroness Amos: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office travel advice for Zimbabwe is kept under constant review and regularly updated. The current version is on the Internet at www.fco.gov.uk.
	Foreign Office officials have been in regular contact with the England and Wales Cricket Board and Professional Cricketers' Association. During these contacts, the FCO officials have passed on factual information about the situation in Zimbabwe. They have also discussed the travel advice in some detail, but made clear that this advice applies equally to all British visitors to Zimbabwe.

Bulgaria and Romania: Visa Control

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What are their reasons for maintaining visa control in relation to Bulgaria and Romania.

Baroness Amos: Visa regimes are maintained when there is evidence that nationals of a particular nationality are seeking to circumvent UK immigration control, such as in the case of Romania and Bulgaria. All visa regimes are kept under constant review and the regimes on Bulgaria and Romania will be lifted when it is considered that to do so would not affect adversely the United Kingdom's immigration control.

Bulgaria and Romania: Visa Control

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which member states of the European Union (other than the United Kingdom) maintain visa control in relation to Bulgaria and Romania.

Baroness Amos: Nationals of Bulgaria and Romania no longer require visas to enter Schengen member states. They do, however, still require visas to enter the Republic of Ireland.

Bulgaria and Romania: Visa Control

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether, following recent deaths and homelessness in Darfur Province of the Sudan, allegedly caused by attacks of the Baggara tribes against the Fur and Massalit tribes, and in view of comments by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the Sudan, the Sudan Organization against Torture and Amnesty International, they will seek to establish improved monitoring of the situation and the inclusion of Darfur in peace negotiations.

Baroness Amos: We are concerned about the situation in Darfur. Very little information has come out of the area. Embassy personnel plan to visit the region to assess the situation in the near future. We do not expect Darfur to be included separately in the peace negotiations.

Reproductive Healthcare

Baroness Masham of Ilton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Amos on 24 October (WA 107), whether their statement that they "do not provide assistance to stabilise population growth" is consistent with their funding by unrestricted grants of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), whose mission statement states its "goals will contribute . . . to the universally accepted aim of stabilizing world population".

Baroness Amos: The purpose of the Government's support for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is to help improve the quality, choice and availability of sexual and reproductive healthcare and services for poor people to enable the fund to be an effective champion for reproductive health and rights.

Yorkshire: Job Creation

Lord Hardy of Wath: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many jobs have been created in 2002 and since 1997 in the county of South Yorkshire and in the Yorkshire region.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from the National Statistician Len Cook, dated 13 February 2003.
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Question about the number of jobs that have been created in South Yorkshire and the Yorkshire region in 2002 and since 1997. (HL1510)
	There are no figures for jobs created but an indication can be obtained by comparing the annual surveys of employee jobs. The annual business inquiry (ABI) gives an estimate of the number of employee jobs in December of each year and the latest year for which figures are available is 2001. The ABI was preceded (prior to 1998) by the annual employment survey (AES) but this survey was carried out on a different basis and so comparisons are very difficult to make. Therefore the earliest year for which comparable data is available is 1998.
	The ABI data for the requested two areas in 1998 and 2001 and the net jobs gained are shown below:
	
		
			 Area 1998 2001 Net Jobs Gained 
			 GOR: Yorkshire and the Humber 2,049,746 2,085,724 35,978 
			 County: South Yorkshire 482,532 487,808 5,276

2001 Census: Key Statistics for Local Authorities

Baroness Pitkeathley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When detailed results from the 2001 census for local authorities in England and Wales will be published.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: A report on the 2001 Census Key Statistics for Local Authorities for England and Wales is being laid before Parliament today. Copies will be available in the Library of the House and are accessible on the National Statistics website.
	The report will provide a compact and self-contained reference, providing key results covering a wide range of census topics. Figures for local authority areas, presented generally as percentage distributions, can be readily compared with those for other areas and with the national averages.
	The report will comprise a set of 24 tables covering all 376 local authority districts in England and Wales, the 11 National Parks, the 40 shire and metropolitan counties and the nine government office regions, as well as comparable national figures for the UK, England and Wales, England, and Wales as appropriate.

EU Legislation

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean on 13 January (WA 13–14), and with respect to European Union regulations directly applicable in the United Kingdom, by what means any person or corporate body can ascertain in respect of a particular topic (a) those regulations which are still in force; (b) those which have expired; and (c) those which replace earlier regulations; and
	Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean on 13 January (WA 13–14), whether they will take steps to ascertain the number of European Community regulations which came into force in the United Kingdom on 1 January 1973; and which publications list those regulations, noting those which are still in force.

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The precise number of EC regulations which came into force on 1 January 1973 and which remain in force now is not held centrally by the Government. It would therefore incur disproportionate costs to collate accurate figures. However, a directory of all Community legislation currently in force is available to any person or corporate body on www.europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/index.html. This is structured by policy area and indicates where regulations have been amended or updated.

Iraqi Nationals: Leave to Enter UK

Lord Roberts of Conwy: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many immigrants and asylum seekers from Iraq have been allowed into the United Kingdom in each of the past five years.

Lord Filkin: The information available is (i) the number of journeys made to the United Kingdom and (ii) the number of applications made for asylum by Iraqi nationals in each of the years 1997 to 2001 and is given in the table.
	Detailed information on general immigration can be found in the Home Office publication, Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom 2001, available in the House of Commons Library and via the Home Office website http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/commandpubs1.html The 2002 edition is due to be published later this year.
	
		Table 1 Nationals of Iraq given leave to enter the United Kingdom, 1997–2001 -- Number of journeys
		
			   of whom: 
			  Total Visitors Passengers returning after a temporary absence abroad Others given leave to enter 
			 1997 7,650 2,920 3,800 930 
			 1998 6,520 2,400 2,870 1,250 
			 1999 6,190 2,880 2,220 1,090 
			 2000 8,050 3,030 2,820 221 
			 2001 8,890 3,240 3,910 1,740 
		
	
	Data rounded to the nearest 10.
	
		Table 2 Applications received for asylum in the United Kingdom by nationals of Iraq, 1997–2001(1), principal applicants
		
			  Total Applications Applied at port Applied in country 
			 1997 1,075 785 290 
			 1998 1,295 1,085 210 
			 1999(2) 1,800 1,385 415 
			 2000(2) 7,475 1,920 5,555 
			 2001(P) 6,705 2,350 4,350 
		
	
	(1) Does not necessarily relate to the year of arrival.
	(2) May exclude some cases lodged at local enforcement offices between January 1999 and March 2000.
	P denotes provisional.
	Data rounded to the nearest 5.

Iraqi Nationals: Leave to Enter UK

Lord Roberts of Conwy: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What steps are currently being taken to check the bona fides of immigrants and asylum seekers from Iraq.

Lord Filkin: All Iraqi citizens seeking entry to the United Kingdom are required to have visas issued abroad. All have their details checked against the warnings index before a visa is issued and again on arrival.
	All asylum seekers are screened in a three-tier process: first, the details of all asylum seekers are checked against the warnings index; secondly, their fingerprints are taken and checked against existing Home Office records and EURODAC and they are photographed. Most asylum seekers will be issued with an asylum registration card.
	The third stage, the interview, has different levels of screening which allow for those with acceptable evidence of identity and nationality to be fed into the system while allowing for more in-depth screening interviews for those with little or no credible evidence. Should there be any indication given during any of the processes that someone might be of security interest, the information is quickly passed on to the appropriate agencies.

Entitlement Cards and Identity Fraud

Baroness Ramsay of Cartvale: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will publish the Information Commissioner's response to the Government's consultation paper on entitlement cards and identity fraud.

Lord Filkin: The Information Commissioner has today published his response to the Government's consultation paper on entitlement cards and identity fraud and copies have been placed in the Library.
	We particularly welcome and value the detailed and thorough response from the Information Commissioner, which we will be studying carefully.

Police Performance

Baroness Ramsay of Cartvale: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What progress has been made on the development of indicators of police performance for forces in England and Wales.

Lord Filkin: Next week we shall be publishing the first police performance monitors for individual forces in England and Wales. The monitors are intended to enable the performance of each force, over a series of indicators, to be compared with similar forces.
	The publication of these monitors is the first stage in publishing accessible information on police performance. They will evolve to reflect the Policing Performance Assessment Framework (PPAF) currently under development. This is intended to capture the breadth and scope of police activity. The development of PPAF has the support of the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Association of Police Authorities.
	The initial monitors omit some key areas of activity such as serious crime and some violent crime and so provide a limited basis on which to compare the overall performance of forces. Nonetheless, they represent a significant improvement in the accessibility of police performance data. They will enable the public to compare the performance of their force with that of those forces most similar to it. The monitors cannot, however, be used to construct national league tables.

Home Office Targets Delivery Report

Baroness Ramsay of Cartvale: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will publish the Home Office Targets Delivery Report.

Lord Filkin: The Home Office Targets Delivery Report has been published today by Command of Her Majesty. Copies of the report are available in the Vote Office and in the Library. The report is also available online http://www.official-documents.co.uk/document/cm57/5754/5754.htm
	The report contains the service delivery agreement for Spending Review 2002 (SR2002), which shows how the Home Office will deliver its new public service agreement targets. The report also reports the latest performance against the old SR2000 targets, updating the description of performance which was provided in the Home Office annual report 2001–02.
	Successful outcomes include a 27 per cent fall in crime, as reported in the British Crime Survey, continued delivery of the pledge to deal swiftly with persistent young offenders and achievement of interim targets for rapidity in considering initial claims for asylum. The report highlights ways in which the department will build upon these successes in order to underpin the prosperity of our country and the cohesiveness of our communities.

CPS Targets Delivery Report

Baroness Pitkeathley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When the Crown Prosecution Service Targets Delivery Report will be published.

Lord Goldsmith: The Crown Prosecution Service Targets Delivery Report 2002–03—2005–06 has today been published and laid before Parliament. Copies have been placed in the Libraries of the Houses.

Sting Ray Lightweight Torpedo

Baroness Pitkeathley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What progress has been made on the award of a contract for the manufacture of the modified Sting Ray lightweight torpedo.

Lord Bach: A £441 million contract has been placed with BAE Systems Electronics Ltd, Underwater Systems Division, for the manufacture of the modified Sting Ray lightweight torpedo, which will enhance the capability provided by the existing weapon system. The in-service variant of Sting Ray has been the main anti-submarine weapon carried by our surface ships and aircraft since 1983. While it continues to meet its design aims, the threat of a new generation of more advanced submarines, operating in both deep and coastal waters with ever more sophisticated counter-measures, requires an enhanced capability.
	The modified Sting Ray torpedo will make best use of advancing technologies and will significantly enhance the capability and maintainability of the weapon system. It will combine the essential attributes of high speed and manoeuvrability, deep diving, low radiated noise, advance computer based intelligence and high warhead lethality. It will provide the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force with the world's most advanced lightweight torpedo from its planned in-service date of 2006.
	The award of this contract to BAE Systems is excellent news for both our Armed Forces and the defence industry. It will sustain approximately 300 jobs across the UK. This is the culmination of work conducted by both the MoD and industry and is a good example of the principles of smart acquisition being put into practice to give our Armed Forces the equipment they need at an affordable price.

Cattle Herds: TB Movement Restrictions

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many cattle herds are currently infected with tuberculosis and under restriction notice.

Lord Whitty: TB movement restrictions are generally triggered by a reaction to the TB skin test which indicates exposure to TB but does not prove infection.
	Provisional figures indicate that on 10 February 2003 there were 2,172 herds under TB movement restrictions.

Krebs Tuberculosis Trial Projects

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many Krebs tuberculosis trial projects are currently in hand; and how many tuberculosis tests are overdue on farms.

Lord Whitty: The Krebs badger culling trial, which is being carried out in 10 triplet areas in England, is just one element of the Government's wide-ranging research programme into bovine TB. Currently there are 29 separate TB-related research projects ongoing. In addition, Defra is also carrying out exercises into the epidemiology of the disease (the TB 99 farm survey) and a survey of badgers killed in road traffic accidents in seven English counties.
	On 31 December, 9,183 herd tests were overdue in Great Britain. This is down from a maximum of 27,000 overdue herd tests at the end of 2001.

Hunting Bill

Earl Peel: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will define the test of competence for a person carrying out the shooting of a wild mammal under the current plans brought forward in the Hunting Bill.

Lord Whitty: The Hunting Bill is concerned with hunting with dogs and not directly the issue of alternative methods of pest control. An automatic condition of all registrations is that reasonable steps should be taken to ensure that any wild mammal which is shot during the course of registered hunting must be shot by a competent marksman. Competence is a matter to be determined on the facts of each individual case and will reflect the appropriateness of the experience, skill and qualifications of the marksman to the difficulty of the shooting being carried out. As that difficulty will vary depending on which species is being hunted and as a result of local factors, the Bill does not prescribe a single standard or provide a definition of what is competent.

Golf: Governing Body

Lord Faulkner of Worcester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Blackstone on 9 January (WA 227), whether they agree with the statement made by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, contained on pages 2, 4, 5, 8, 9 and 10 in its publication Rules of Amateur Status, that "In Great Britain and Ireland, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews is the Governing Body".

Baroness Blackstone: In my previous reply to my noble friend (WA 227) I indicated that the Royal and Ancient Golf Club at St Andrews is the international governing body for golf (with the exception of the United States of America).
	The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews holds a unique position in the world game. Over the last two centuries it has evolved as the leading authority in the world game, and golf clubs throughout Britain have looked to it for guidance. The club currently has responsibility for the administration of the rules of golf in conjuction with the United States Golf Association; the running of the Open Championships; the development of the game in existing and emerging golfing nations and the operation of a private club with almost 2,400 members.
	In terms of its status as the governing body I do not consider it is the role of government to determine the organisations which should be acknowledged as the governing body for a sport.

Licensing Bill: Guidance

Baroness Pitkeathley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What arrangements have been made to debate the guidance issued by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport under the Licensing Bill.

Baroness Blackstone: As part of its consideration of the Licensing Bill, the House of Lords Select Committee on Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform recommended that a mechanism be devised to enable Parliament to debate the guidance which it is intended would be issued to licensing authorities under Clause 177 of the Licensing Bill. The guidance is a crucial mechanism for enabling the Government to promote consistency and best practice and to respond to developments which may arise from time to time in connection with the sale of alcohol or the provision of regulated entertainment and late night refreshment. The Bill is scheduled to begin its Report stage in the House of Lords on 24 February.
	At Committee stage in the House of Lords, the Government undertook to provide an opportunity for an early draft of the guidance to be available in time for the Bill's Report stage in the House of Lords. To meet our undertaking, I am today publishing a rough draft of the guidance, which has been placed in the Library of the House. This has involved advancing the timetable for producing the draft guidance considerably and the production of a rough draft in quicker time than we would have preferred.
	I wish to make it clear that the draft's current form is subject to change and further development following continuing consultation with stakeholders and other government departments and agencies; to take account of any further undertakings given by Ministers during the Bill's forthcoming parliamentary stages; and of course, to reflect any amendments made to the Bill itself. There will also be a further opportunity for each House to debate the guidance when it is in its completed form later this year.
	The text of the guidance document can also be found at http://www.culture.gov.uk/new–responsibilities/guidance–section177–licensing.pdf

Public Health Laboratories

Lord Clement-Jones: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How they plan to ensure that accommodation currently used for public health work is protected when the management of public health laboratories transfers to their local National Health Service trusts.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The laboratories transferring to National Health Service trusts are being transferred together with their current accommodation. We expect that the accommodation which is currently utilised for public health will continue to be used for that purpose.
	It will be the role of local health protection agency public health microbiologists and the HPA regional public health microbiologist to ensure that the public health outputs of transferred, and other, laboratories are maintained.

Public Health Laboratories

Lord Clement-Jones: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How they intend to ensure the continuance of the contribution of the Public Health Laboratory Service to health and safety after 1 April.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Public Health Laboratory Service board will continue to be responsible for the health and safety of its remaining employees after 1 April 2003.
	Any wider contribution to health and safety by current employees of the PHLS providing expert advice will continue to be provided as appropriate.

Public Health Laboratories

Lord Clement-Jones: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How they plan to maintain services for food, water and environmental microbiology services when the network of public health laboratories are transferred to the management of their local trusts.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Microbiology services for food, water and environment testing will continue to be provided to local authorities from all of the existing laboratories, including those Public Health Laboratory Service laboratories that are due to transer to National Health Service trusts. We are planning for the health protection agency, when it is created, to provide for these services and to determine minimum standards that will be followed.

Overweight and Obesity

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What action has been taken or is planned to address the areas of National Health Service provision for the management of overweight and obese patients that were identified as patchy in the recent National Audit Office report Tackling Obesity in England.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The NHS Plan and the National Service Framework for Coronary Heart Disease (launched after the National Audit Office survey) set standards for health authorities in partnership with local authorities, primary care teams and NHS trusts for the development and delivery of effective policies for reducing overweight and obesity, promoting healthy eating and increasing physical activity.
	The NHS Priorities and Planning Framework for 2003–06 sets a target requiring practice-based registers and systematic treatment regimes for patients at high risk of coronary heart disease, which includes those with a body mass index greater than 30.
	It is up to primary care trusts as local providers and commissioners of services to determine the most appropriate methods to deliver healthcare to their populations, based on clinical need and effectiveness, as well as local circumstance, drawing on the available evidence. The Health Development Agency is providing a report setting out the evidence base for the prevention and treatment of overweight and obesity, and the maintenance of weight loss.

Pneumococcal Disease

Lord Clement-Jones: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their estimate of the number of service level agreements that will be required after 1 April to ensure the continuance of the work done by the Public Health Laboratory Service on pneumococcal disease.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: There will be no service level agreements to maintain the Public Health Laboratory Service co-ordinated programmes on pneumococcal disease. All work for the Department of Health by PHLS on pneumococcal disease is part of the core funding provided by the department.

Primary Care Trusts: Specialised Services

Baroness Cumberlege: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When their conclusions concerning the review of specialised services commissioning by primary care trusts will be published; and
	What steps are being taken to ensure continuity of specialised services commissioning by primary care trusts from April 2003; and
	About the preparedness of primary care trusts to assume responsibility for commissioning specialised services from April 2003.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Since April 2002 primary care trusts have been responsible for securing specialised health services for their local populations and, in consequence, the membership of regional specialised commissioning groups (RSCGs) is now based on PCTs rather than on health authorities.
	To maintain continuity during 2002–03, PCTs are expected to honour existing consortia arrangements and previously agreed financial commitments and work programmes. RSCGs have been supporting the development of collaborative behaviour and PCTs are working together to agree their specialised services commissioning plans for 2003–04.
	We will publish the results of the consultation on commissioning arrangements for specialised services shortly.

Ebixa

Lord Ashley of Stoke: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the findings of the Committee on Safety of Medicines have encouraged doctors to prescribe the medical drug Ebixa for patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Committee on Safety of Medicines advises the licensing authority on the quality, safety and efficacy of medicines. It does not advise doctors on what products they should prescribe.

House of Lords Reform

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In the event that Parliament decides in accordance with the Prime Minister's and the Lord Chancellor's opinion that the House of Lords should be wholly appointed, what will be the future position as regards (a) the total size of the House; (b) the status of elected hereditary Peers; (c) the proportions of Peers appointed to represent the interests of political parties and Cross-Bench Peers respectively; (d) the method of appointment of political Peers and Cross-Bench Peers respectively; and (e) the length of tenure of politically appointed Peers.

Lord Irvine of Lairg: These are, in the first instance, all issues which the Joint Committee will have to consider as part of any detailed proposals they might make for the way forward following the votes in both Houses.

Writs of Summons to the House of Lords

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What change has been made to the form of the Writ of Summons issued to Lords Spiritual and Lords Temporal by the Crown Office (Forms and Proclamation Rules) (Amendment) Order 2002.

Lord Irvine of Lairg: In June 2001 the noble Lord invited consideration of a minor amendment to the wording of certain Writs of Summons to the House of Lords, which then included a reference to Great Men but not to Great Women.
	The Crown Office (Forms and Proclamation Rules) (Amendment) Order 2002 was promoted by my department to rectify the anomaly so that those Writs of Summons which refer to Great Men will now also refer to Great Women.

Election Candidates: Copies of Electoral Register

Lord Greaves: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 27 January (WA 128) whether the entitlement to a copy of the relevant electoral register before submitting nomination papers applies to candidates for local government councillors, mayoral, London Assembly, Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly elections.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Yes. Candidates at elections to all these bodies and offices are entitled to receive a copy of the relevant electoral register for electoral purposes before submitting their nomination papers. My department is not responsible for the law relating to elections to the Scottish Parliament, but I understand that candidates for these elections are also so entitled.

Irish Government: Respect for Traditions

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Privy Seal on 9 January (WA 230) concerning respect for traditions, whether the list can be recorded in the Official Report as requested; when the website address quoted in the Answer will carry the list; and what equality proofing was used for the allocation.

Lord Williams of Mostyn: This is a matter for the Irish Government. The Department of Foreign Affairs at Iveagh House, St Stephens Green, Dublin 2 has responsibility for the above subject. I apologise for the delay in answering this Question.

Northern Ireland Act 2000: Legal Opinions

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Privy Seal on 7 January (WA 170), whether paragraph 4(1)(f) of the Schedule to the Northern Ireland Act 2000 allows the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to consider legal opinions of the now suspended government of Northern Ireland.

Lord Williams of Mostyn: Yes. However, the Secretary of State does not propose to do so, having regard to the convention that Ministers do not ask to see advice given to a previous administration.

Irish Language Agency

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In reference to the appointment of the deputy chief executive, Director of Education Services of the Irish Language Agency, who will be in charge of the agency's Belfast office commencing on 17 February; on what dates this appointment was approved by (a) the agency, (b) the North/South Ministerial Council, and (c) other relevant departments; and which are those departments.

Lord Williams of Mostyn: The deputy chief executive, Director of Education Services of the Irish Language Agency, will be in charge of the agency's Belfast office commencing on 17 February.
	The relevant departments are the sponsor departments, Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure and Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (formerly Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands) and the finance departments, Department of Finance and Personnel and Department of Finance.
	The sponsor departments recommended the grading and pay range for the post on 20 March 2002, and after consultation with officials in the two finance departments the grading and pay range were agreed on 10 April 2002.
	The North/South Ministerial Council on 15 April 2002 approved the recruitment process and, subject to the approval of finance ministers, the grading and pay range for the post. That part of the board of the North/South Language Body with responsibility for the Irish Language Agency on 29 April 2002 authorised the chief executive to implement the recruitment process approved by NSMC for the appointment of the deputy chief executive, Director of Education Services.
	Finance ministers' approval for the grading and pay range for the post was received on 23 September 2002.